Herbarium design can have a decorative or scientific meaning. The main rule of collection longevity is correct collection. It is worth going out on a vegetable "hunt" in dry weather, otherwise your herbarium may turn black. Select healthy, complete plants with an entire aboveground and underground part. This rule is dictated by the peculiarities of determining the species.
Collection rules
If the height of the plant exceeds the size of the folder, it is folded 2 or even 3 times. From too large plants, use the upper part with flowers, the middle with leaves and the lower root. If your collection includes representatives of shrubs and trees, cut off shoots with leaves, flowers and fruits, if any.
Dig up the plant, free it from the soil, cut thick rhizomes and stems along. When laying out in a folder, straighten the plant, giving it the shape in which it will be further fixed. If there are too many leaves and they overlap each other, some can be cut off, keeping the petioles. When preparing the plant for installation, unfold some of the leaves with the lower side, this will allow you to consider the features of its structure.
How to dry plants
The drying process takes place in a herbarium press. The plant from the folder is placed in the press, shifted with sheets of paper. Lay out the parts of the plant so that they do not overlap each other, if it is impossible to carry out such actions, lay clean sheets of paper.
If succulent plants are dried, they are pre-scalded with boiling water without affecting the flowers. The plant bulbs are cut lengthwise and scalded before the press. One press can accommodate a stack of 50 plant sheets. The press is installed in the sun and brought into the room at night. Daily care of the herbarium during the drying process involves replacing the sheets.
Collection design
Plant installation is carried out on thick paper or white cardboard A3 format. If the plants are small, one leaf may contain several members of the same species. A 10x8 cm label is placed in the lower right corner. The inscriptions are made in black pen, legible handwriting.
Plants are fixed with green or white threads, starting from the underground organs and moving towards the pedicels. The knots are tied on the front of the plant. To check the strength of the leaf, turn the plant down, glue all elements that are not sufficiently fixed with strips of tracing paper 2 mm wide. Perform any work related to gluing plants with starch paste or PVA glue.
Due to the fact that herbarium specimens have a high level of hygroscopicity and deteriorate under the influence of moisture, choose a bright, dry and well-ventilated room for their storage. Use an insecticide spray method to control insects.
